You are hereGeneral Assembly: Statement by Ambassador Thoms at the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform

General Assembly: Statement by Ambassador Thoms at the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform

Apr 23, 2014

"Mr. Chairman,

I align myself with the statement delivered by Ambassador Mukerji on behalf of the G4 countries.

The Security Council and the General Assembly are two key organs, each with distinct roles and responsibilities. The global and complex challenges for peace and security that we face today require that these two bodies work hand in hand – that they reinforce each other, rather than compete.

Some proposals on how this can be better achieved are contained in section 5 of the non-paper submitted to us by the President of the General Assembly. I am confident that convergence on these steps can be reached once we finally embark on real, text-based negotiations.

Mr. Chairman,

I would be amiss if I were not to highlight the central role of the General Assembly when it comes to the process of Security Council reform. The UN Charter, as we all know, is clear: Any Charter amendment would require a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly. To come into effect, two thirds of the member states, including the current P5, would need to ratify the amendments.

Nowhere in this process does the Charter mention “consensus”, “quasi-consensus”, “widest possible consensus” or any other such artificial majority requirements. So let us finally put this distractive discussion at rest - and focus on substance, not slogans.

General Assembly: Statement by Ambassador Thoms at the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform

Reform of the United Nations

The United Nations is a product of its times: founded in the wake of the two disastrous world wars of the previous century. Its organs and modes of functioning reflect the political balances of power and peace-building moral concepts of that era.